Black Velvet Band is a traditional folk song from Sing a Song of Wiggles.
Transcript from Sing a Song of Wiggles
Dorothy: This is a song with a story. It's a story about a handsome prince. (Sam arrives dressed up as Prince Michael) Oh, here's the handsome prince now.
Sam: (bowing) Greetings, fair dinosaur.
Dorothy: (bowing) Greetings to you, kind sir. (Sam leaves.) The prince sees a beautiful lady whose hair is tied up with a black velvet band. He loses sight of her and searches everywhere to find her once again. Finally, he finds his true love and they live happily ever after. (sighs)
Song Lyrics
Once there was a handsome prince named Michael, who spied a maiden from afar.
Her eyes they shone like diamonds
I thought her the queen of the land
And her hair it hung over her shoulder
Tied up with a black velvet band
He lost sight of the maiden in the crowd, but was desperate to find her. He asked the butcher who was nearby.
Have you seen a beautiful maiden?
The butcher asked:
Did her eyes they shine like diamonds?
Did she look like the Queen of the land?
Was her hair hung over her shoulder,
Tied up with a black velvet band?
Yes, that's her! Which way did she go?
The butcher pointed the Prince in the right direction and bid him farewell.
Farewell my good prince,
I must attend my mince,
My sausages and my chops as well,
For all those items I must sell.
Farewell my good prince,
I must attend my mince,
My sausages and my chops as well,
For all those items I must sell.
My chops!
The prince continued on his search and came upon a cycle maker. He asked the cycle maker if he'd seen a beautiful maid pass by.
Did her eyes they shine like diamonds?
Did she look like the Queen of the land?
Was her hair hung over her shoulder,
Tied up with a black velvet band?
Yes, that's her! Which way did she go?
The cycle maker pointed the Prince in the right direction and bid him farewell.
Farewell good Prince Michael,
For I must build this cycle.
It needs a seat and bell as well,
For this cycle I must sell.
Farewell good Prince Michael,
For I must build this cycle.
It needs a seat and bell as well,
For this cycle I must sell.
Nice bike!
The Prince continued on his search and came upon a florist. He asked the florist if they'd seen a beautiful maid pass by.
Did her eyes they shine like diamonds?
Did she look like the Queen of the land?
Was her hair hung over her shoulder,
Tied up with a black velvet band?
Yes, that's her! Which way did she go?
The florist pointed the Prince in the right direction and bid him farewell.
Fare the well my Prince,
I must attend my roses.
It's the beauty and their smell
That helps these lovely roses sell.
Fare the well my Prince,
I must attend my roses.
It's the beauty and their smell
That helps these lovely roses sell.
Nice smell!
The prince continued on his search, but became forlorn that he could not find the beautiful maiden. He was about to give up his search, when he turned towards the town square and saw her. He wasted not a second and ran to her and sang:
Your eyes shine like diamonds;
I thought you the Queen of the land.
Your hair hangs over your shoulder,
It's tied with a black velvet band.
The Prince danced with the fair maiden, and he knew he had found his true love.
Your eyes the shine like diamonds;
You will be the Queen of the land.
Please wear this diamond tiara
I place on your head with my hand.
The Prince and the maiden continued to dance and the maiden knew that she too had found her true love.
My eyes are shining like diamonds;
They'll think me the Queen of the land.
I love to wear my tiara
And my hair in a black velvet band.
Your hair in a black velvet band.
Your hair in a black velvet band.
And they lived happily ever after.
Song Credits
Trad. Arr. Murray Cook, Jeff Fatt, Anthony Field, Sam Moran, Dominic Lindsay, Paul Paddick (Wiggly Tunes Pty Ltd)